LGBTQ History Month 2022 — Technician 9/29/22

LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH

WHAT YOU MISSED:

Longtime NC State golf coach passes away

Richard Sykes, a five-time ACC Coach of the Year and member of the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame, passed away Sunday. Sykes was the longest-serving coach in any sport in NC State athletics history and served a total of 46 years coaching the Wolfpack. Sykes worked to raise funds and awareness for estab lishing Lonnie Poole Golf Course.

SOURCE: NC STATE NEWS

Hurricane Ian expected to impact North Carolina

Eastern and central North Carolina are forecasted to experience heavy rain and gusts of wind Saturday and Sunday as storms from Hurricane Ian move up the East Coast. Stormwater crews have begun preparation for the heavy precipitation, and Duke Energy is bracing for pos sible power outages. Experts advise North Carolinians to monitor the weather forecast in the upcoming week.

SOURCE: WRAL

Senate heads toward government shutdown in deadlock over energy policy

Congress has three legislative days left to navigate an impasse and avert a quickly approaching shutdown on Oct. 1. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will at tempt to lead the Senate on the passing of the shortterm energy bill, including Sen. Joe Manchin’s energy reform legislation. This legislation would make it eas ier for states to build new solar farms, power plants and dams, but both republicans and progressives are in opposition as it greatly benefits Schumer’s home state of West Virginia.

SOURCE: ABC NEWS

NASA spacecraft collides with asteroid

A NASA spacecraft smashed into an asteroid named Dimorphos in a mission called the Double Aster oid Redirection Test (DART). In a mission to test a strategy to avert an asteroid, the DART spacecraft was launched in November and aimed to collide with Dimorphos 7 million miles from Earth. NASA engi neers said this mission will help scientists understand how to protect Earth from asteroids in the future.

SOURCE: NY NEWS

THE RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Sept. 29

NC STATE LIVE PRESENTS

RANKY TANKY WITH GUEST LISA FISCHER

Thursday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION, STEWART THEATRE $8-35

Get funky with Grammy-winning Gullah band Ranky Tanky along with special guest Lisa Fischer. The group will captivate audiences with their soulful pieces in Stewart Theatre.

FEEL GOOD FESTIVAL

Friday, Sept. 30, 2-5 p.m.

STAFFORD COMMONS

Free

Head out to the first Howl and Chill event of the academic year for music, crafts and food. Be one of the first 100 guests to arrive to receive free Kona Ice.

PRIDE WALK: LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH KICKOFF

Monday, Oct. 3, 3-6 p.m.

STAFFORD COMMONS

Free

Join the GLBT Center to decorate signs and T-shirts and walk 1.4 miles through campus to start LGBTQ History Month off right. Stay for the afterparty for local vendors and food trucks.

FUTURE OF FOODS: EXTREME POSSIBILITIES OF GENETIC ENGINEERING

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

D.H. HILL LIBRARY, FISHBOWL FORUM Free

Explore the possibilities of geneti cally engineered foods with writers and scientists as part of the Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions series on the Future of Foods.

Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2022 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

BY AVERY SZAKACS

Moodle transformed: Here’s what you need to know.

Cameron Rinehardt Brand Manager

Most NC State students are familiar with Moodle, the platform the University uses for online classes, instructor/student communica tion and other class-related activity. This year, students face an updated version of the site.

At first glance, the home page looks familiar. However, after clicking on a class, students will find the page looks slightly different from previ ous years. For example, the bar on the left no longer shows other classes, but now shows a breakdown of the current course and acts as a way to get to a specific spot on the page faster.

Moodle has always broken down classes by week, but the updated version allows instruc tors to give detailed directions for the week and even separate student tasks, what’s due and ex tra information.

Despite the update, both students and pro fessors often have a hard time adjusting to the platform and utilizing it in an effective way.

Dr. Tugce Ertem-Eray, an assistant professor in communication, is new to NC State said the new Moodle was hard to adjust to, especially after using other platforms like Canvas and Blackboard in the past.

“Everything was so new to me, even creating a class was a bit problematic,” Ertem-Eray said. “It took some time for me to figure it out, and I think the most difficult thing was it isn’t very user friendly.”

Ertem-Eray said her process of learning how to use Moodle was a lot of trial and error and consisted of learning from mistakes and find ing tips and tricks online.

“You have to make mistakes and go over ev erything a couple of times to make things cor rect,” Ertem-Eray said. “It took a while to figure

out, and I’m still figuring it out. For example, I wanted to make comments on students’ papers but I couldn’t figure it out in enough time.”

Some students also found Moodle confusing and difficult to adapt to when first using it, and still struggle after the update.

“I found it hard to adjust from high school because we used Google classroom,” said Ana Moranta, a second-year studying biological sci ences. “The announcements are kind of weird and I think the communication between stu dents and professors is just okay.”

Moranta said the structure of Moodle is no tably different after the recent update, and the new update has been in effect since summer.

“I immediately noticed that the structure is different,” Moranta said. “I first noticed it’s easier to see your grades and who else is in your class, which was kind of weird.”

Nelie Tahssili, a third-year studying com munication, said she is dissatisfied with the update, and even prefers to use other platforms.

“One of my professors uses Canvas and I like that way better,” Tahssili said. “I like the calendar, but I just don’t like the updated ver sion overall, where the tabs on the left side have changed.”

Sophie Ketron, a fourth-year studying com munication, also has negative feelings about the new update.

“I wish they’d bring back the grades and an nouncements tabs, because now there’s no cen tralized dashboard,” Ketron said. “Now, I have to go into my specific classes to see those tabs.”

Despite disliking the Moodle update, Ke tron does prefer using Moodle compared to less organized forms of communication, such as mass emails.

“It used to be really good for communica tion, but now it has changed,” Ketron said. “I

do like that [professors] use it, though. It feels less concrete when they don’t.”

Moodle is a platform students and profes sors alike have a hard time utilizing despite its

BY

central importance to academics at NC State. With an update changing the layout, time will tell if Moodle becomes more user-friendly or if it remains the same.

Students shot with paintball guns on campus, chief warns of potential danger

Gabby Griffonetti Correspondent

According to a WolfAlert sent out by the NC State University Police Depart ment, two men shot paintball guns at pedestrians on Hillsborough Street on Sept. 4.

The shooters drove trucks and were young, white and wearing baseball caps, as reported in the alert. There are cur rently no definitive suspects.

NC State Police Chief Dan House said the incident has potential to be very se rious if a witness believes it to be real gunfire.

“This is not just some college prank, this is a very serious matter,” House said. “And, you know, what if that same thing happened, and it just happened

to be an undercover police officer or something. Chances are that the police officer is going to return fire, but simply real bullets. Or a citizen that’s armed under the concealed-carry permit can very well be saying that their life is in danger and return fire. So it could be horrifically, not only a terrifying event, but realistically a tragic event if some thing like that did happen.”

House also said more people are arming themselves, which could lead to a greater chance the event becomes deadly.

“These days you can’t even just assume that it’s going to be a white male with a haircut like mine who could potentially

oSTEM provides professional development, community, resources for LGBTQ+ students

Emily Vespa Assistant News Editor

Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (oSTEM) is an organiza tion devoted to building a community to empower members in STEM and provide professional development opportunities to equip LGBTQ students for a career in STEM.

Declan Crowe, a third-year studying for eign languages and literature and meteorolo gy and the president of oSTEM, said oSTEM provides resources to help students develop valuable career skills and network.

“We have people from different companies come in and talk to us about what is going on in their company and how their company is supporting LGBTQ+ individuals,” Crowe said. “We also do have some different de partments come in, for example, we plan to have the Career Development Center come in from time to time to talk to us about vari ous things like resume workshops and career fair prep and all those things.”

Jose Sorroza, a second-year studying civil engineering and the treasurer for oSTEM, said the organization also undertakes vol unteer projects, including volunteering at a community garden. He said his favorite part about oSTEM is learning from professionals in STEM fields.

“It’s nice, seeing queer people like in actual

professional settings, because I feel like that isn’t something that we get to see a whole lot,” Sorroza said. “So it’s just nice, just for that, but also it’s really nice hearing what they have to say because they give us a lot of helpful advice on how we should navi gate with our identities at the workplace. I know for a lot of people, [that’s] their con cern, because not every employer is LGBTQ friendly.”

Crowe said being involved in oSTEM has helped him build a community at NC State.

“My favorite part about oSTEM is the connections that we can make with oth ers,” Crowe said. “oSTEM really provided me those connections to learn a lot about profes sional development but also to really connect with some other career individuals and to know that there are other queer people in

STEM. And not just at the undergraduate level — there are people in our club that are at the doctorate level and the master’s level, we even have a few postdocs that will join us from time to time.”

Crowe explained how having folks from all different walks of life join oSTEM helps support and empower members.

“To me, that was very empowering, and very good to see that there are some other people out there that have made it down that path, and that they could support me through my journey,” Crowe said. “So I think it was really a wonderful thing for me to just start making those connections. And I would encourage everybody else to come to one of our meetings to try to make some connections with others as well.”

Sorroza said oSTEM is important because

COURTESY OF DECLAN CROWE

it connects LGBTQ students in STEM and acts as a support system.

“It can be a bit isolating being queer in a very like, cis, het, white-dominated field, and it’s always nice just to know that there are people like you in the struggle as well,” Sorroza said.

Crowe encourages students to get involved with oSTEM.

“We are working hard to make sure that all of our students feel that they come to talk to us and have a sense that they can have a space to get to know one another and get to know a community,” Crowe said. “And I would encourage anybody who might be feeling a little bit lost, who might hold a queer iden tity, to come and join us, because we will definitely provide as much support for you as we can throughout your academic journey.”

Retrospective review: Technician’s history inthe fight for gay rights, activism and more

Mariana Fabian Opinion Editor

Editor’s Note:

As a publication, Technician has been around for over a century. The reporters of past and present have been a part of the progress, change and activism happening at NC State. This series seeks to figure out the main players of LGBTQ activism that existed on campus throughout the end of the last century to the next.

Even as Technician has worked towards bettering NC State as a whole, its his tory is still muddled with racist and ho mophobic rhetoric. In light of LGBTQ History Awareness Month, I took a deep dive into Technician’s archives to see the climate for LGBTQ individuals since the

Pride Student VMC provides community for vet school graduates

Hayden Driver Correspondent

Pride Student Veterinary Medicine Community (VMC) is a student orga nization that provides a community for LGBTQ graduates in the College of Ve terinary Medicine (CVM).

Jamie Constantino, a third-year gra duate in veterinary medicine, said the primary goal of Pride Student VMC is to create a safe space for LGBTQ people and allies within the CVM to come together and experience a sense of community.

“I think as a gay man, I find commu nity in that space, and as a cis white gay man, I know that I have it easier than some other people,” Constantino said. “So I found it very important to get in volved in that community and make sure that my entire community felt comfor table in the college.”

Abby Dallas, a third-year student in veterinary medicine, said the club has been a way to acknowledge and uplift mi nority voices within the veterinary field.

“Especially at the vet school, minori ties are extremely underrepresented—it’s very much a straight white woman domi nating the field,” Dallas said. “Getting to know friendly faces around campus [has been] helpful.”

Pride Student VMC offers the students in the college an opportunity to socia lize with those within their community without the stresses of school.

“It’s nice knowing that you have a

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beginning of this publication.

As for the history with LGBTQ indi viduals, Technician’s archives demon strate the publication has played a large role in either reporting on gay events and activism — or it’s been on the other side of the aisle, displaying homophobic rhetoric and jokes.

The GLBT timeline, created by Uni versity Libraries, details some key events where Technician played a role in LGBTQ issues. The timeline hasn’t been updated since 2016, but it’s an intriguing look at how reporters have been able to facilitate more conversations around queerness and being gay on campus. The earliest mention of reporting comes from 1972 when Technician reported the founding of the Triangle Gay Alliance.

In the early Daily Tar Hell editions, Technician’s parody issue of UNC’s newspaper, Technician made homopho bic remarks throughout some of these editions. To quote the edition from 1999, a headline was, “Coming Up From Be hind,” paired with a photo of a student holding a sign that reads, “Hi I’m Gaye,

and I’m running for Student Body Pres.”

Technician also has a history of ex clusion and racist rhetoric when Black students criticized NC State leadership for not keeping their promise of creat ing an African American Cultural Stu dent Center. According to Nubian Mes sage, “Technician published an opinion column by Steve Crisp that referred to members of the Black Awareness Council (BAC) as ‘Ku Klux Blacks.’ In the Cam pus Forum section of the same issue, Jeff Rom called the BAC ‘a bunch of terror ists.’”

Copies of Technician were promptly burned by Black students, and the pub lication was protested against for this inflammatory and racist rhetoric. After this, Nubian Message published its first issue on Nov. 30, 1992, proclaiming it self NC State’s first African American newspaper. According to NC State News, Nubian’s founder and first editor-inchief, Tony Williamson wrote an edito rial which stated his intention to “totally, truthfully and faithfully” cover every as pect of African American life at NC State.

This will be an ongoing series. Look out for more at technicianonline.com.

have a gun,” House said. “In fact, I’m a concealed weapons carry instructor and most of my students are female. So, could be anybody you go up against, and if that had happened, that person that fired back a real weapon would be justi fied in doing what they’re doing in most circumstances.”

Sam Christy, a graduate student in aerospace engineering and president of NC State Club Paintball, said play ing paintball involves many safety pre cautions. Players wear protective gear, chronograph their guns to shoot at a safe speed, shoot from 10- to 20-feet distances and play in protected areas.

He also said it can be painful to be shot when these precautions are not followed.

“It can be pretty painful,” Christy said. “It can sting, it can break the skin or cause you to bleed, and I’ve had that happen a couple times. I would be willing to bet that if they just went to Walmart or Dick’s Sporting Goods, or something like that, and just picked a paintball gun up and started shooting people. It’s not chronographed out of the box. So you know, they can be shooting any number of different speeds low or high. But like I said, if they’re on the

group of like-minded people to come to if you need to and partake in fun activi ties outside of the hardness of veterinary school,” Constantino said. “We will go to a bar and just kind of hang out and have drinks, and we’ll watch movies with LGBTQIA characters, and we’re starting a book club where we read LGBTQIA books, so it’s just fun and relaxing too.”

The organization hosts events annually to fundraise for the club and other ex ternal organizations.

“We do an event where we tie dye our lab coats,” Dallas said. “It’s been cool. Also if you walk around the school and you see people whose lab coats are tiedyed, you know that they were at that event, they are either queer themselves or an ally.”

Along with fundraisers, the Pride Stu dent VMC hosts workshops surrounding subjects such as pronoun usage in the veterinary community.

“We had a lunch meeting where the GLBT Center from the main campus came over, and we talked about infor ming the whole college about pronoun usage and how that relates to our clients,” Constantino said.

According to Constantino, the club has been down in membership because of COVID-19 and is in the process of re building. He said in the future, they plan to do outreach in the broader Raleigh area, hoping to reach those outside NC State’s campus.

high end, it’s going to hurt.”

House said similar incidents occurred last spring but did not occur over the summer.

“So, just by deduction, that tends to tell you it’s probably someone in the student population,’’ House said.

The events in the spring and fall have included different vehicles, however all included descriptions of young-white males wearing baseball caps.

House said once there are suspects, the NC State University Police Department intends to charge them with the most they can. This could include assault, as sault by pointing a gun or going armed to the terror of the public — which is a felony.

Christy said these events are not rep resentative of those who enjoy paintball recreationally.

“I wouldn’t say that anybody who plays the sport is violent like that,” Christy said. “Generally anyone who’s actually invested in the sport is only playing at fields where the sport is played. They are not just going around shooting people; that would be someone who had some sort of ulterior motive, which does not define the people who play this as a sport recreationally. I think I can speak for ev eryone who plays and say that we don’t condone that; that’s not something we do. That’s not in the spirit of the game.”

CONTRIBUTED BY NC STATE

Girls can do STEM too, despite naysayers

Only 28% of the STEM workforce in the U.S. comprises people identifying as women, vastly outnumbered by their male coun terparts. As an aspir ing computer science major, this is deeply disheartening. Some of the world’s greatest scientific achievements and discoveries have been made by women, and it’s troubling that very few continue to contribute to the most rapidly-evolving, foresighted and rewarding professions that exist.

Shreya Sakpal Correspondent

Research shows no biological differ ences in the brain structure or cognition between genders which make women less capable than men in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields. However, for decades, society has subtly touted a notion that women are unfit for scientific work which requires logical and critical think ing. Historically, women were robbed of acclamation for their work because it was socially inappropriate for a woman to con tribute to STEM.

A notable example is the work of Rosalind Franklin, who, with her colleague Maurice Wilkins, produced an x-ray diffraction im age of a DNA molecule that was the inspira

tion for James Watson and Francis Crick to create their famous DNA helix model. Wat son, Crick and Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the molecular structure of DNA, while Franklin wasn’t even acknowl edged. Significant, groundbreaking discov eries like this one where only men take the credit, feed into the argument that STEM fields are unsuitable for women.

While this argument was accepted (though incorrect) throughout most of history, this is definitely the wrong cen tury to continue pushing it. Inclusiveness and diversity are valued in the workforce, and it’s up to educational institutions, from elementary schools to universities, to en sure all of their programs and courses are approachable and interesting for everyone.

There are several reasons why a significant portion of this issue stems from schools. Teachers, who are usually female, often give their students the first impression of a particular subject, and if they have implicit biases against it, their students see the sub ject through a distorted lens. Many people, including teachers, believe the deep-rooted stereotypes suggesting that STEM fields are masculine and they, either subconsciously or not, underestimate girls’ math skills and grade them harsher, thinking girls should work harder to be on par with boys. This re

duces girls’ self-confidence, causing them to dislike STEM and ultimately pushing them away from it.

Nationally, only 21% of engineering ma jors and 19% of computer and information sciences majors are women. Fortunately, NC State is ranked sixth on a list of top col leges for women and minorities in STEM, and in 2022, for the first time, the incom ing College of Engineering class is 33% women. However, this is nowhere near 50%, and there’s still a long way to go. Until then, this small number continues to create overly male-dominated STEM fields which are then seen as exclusionary, resulting in fewer STEM role models for young girls and women. This positive feedback loop needs to end. STEM should be a viable option for anyone who wants a career in it.

Another issue arises from employers themselves. The U.S. gender pay gap has always been a problem in nearly every pro fession at any point in history, but it is seen most starkly in STEM, where men are paid much higher than women. On average, men earn $85,000 compared to $60,828 earned by women. The disparity is much greater for Black and Hispanic women, who earn an average of $52,000 a year. This begs the question of how much a woman’s work in STEM is valued compared to a man’s in the job market — especially at companies that

seemingly promote inclusiveness.

Additionally, women are rarely in top po sitions in many STEM companies because it’s easier for men to get promoted, since their promotions are usually based on po tential, and women’s promotions are based on the quality of work performed. Why is this? The answer lies in how highly a com pany’s values are regarded by management and how strictly consequences for violating them are enforced. One of the most highprofile cases is the firing of Google engineer James Damore who wrote an internal memo which included a claim that women biologi cally are less able to work in technical jobs among other highly controversial ideas. Google CEO Sundar Pichai immediately criticized Damore’s comments.

While many STEM companies and de partments have strict policies against spreading discriminatory ideas in the workplace, lenient management can allow toxic culture to spread quickly. Ultimately, the only way to take down the STEM pa triarchy is for schools and universities to debunk myths and stereotypes surrounding STEM. They must level the playing field in the job market and prepare women to be come thinkers, analysts and problem solvers equipped with determination and talent to rival their male counterparts.

You are less alone in feeling lonely than you think

seem to have clicked with immediately. If you are like me and sometimes think you’re the only person struggling, you’re not — ac cording to a 2018 study from the American College Health Association, around 63% of college students reported feeling very lonely at some point in the last 12 months.

Even if you aren’t struggling in class, ask the people around you if they want to grab a coffee and do work together. Chances are they will jump at the opportunity to make a new group that can study together.

Finn Huneycutt Correspondent

When you ask some one what they were most excited about when coming into col lege, they’re probably not going to talk about classes or dining hall food. The most com mon response I’ve heard is making new friends and meeting new people. Most people expect college to be a time of social blossoming and instant friendships, and it can be painfully disap pointing if it isn’t.

Not all incoming college students are the most sociable. It can be harder than it seems to make new friends, especially for those of us who have strong relationships with people from our hometown or just find it difficult to talk to new people. Meeting new people also becomes increasingly daunting as the school year progresses. Friend groups have been established, clubs have started and study groups have been made. Some times it seems like if you don’t make friends in the first week, you’ve lost your chance.

As someone who has struggled with loneliness myself since coming to college, it never helps to see people I know posting pictures with dozens of new friends they

No matter what kind of facade others are presenting on social media, they are likely also feeling alone behind the camera. Ev eryone misses someone, and we all spend time feeling like we are the only ones expe riencing this. Loneliness is a normal human emotion, but it’s up to you how you choose to deal with it. Here are some of my recom mendations.

Join a club. It doesn’t matter what club. It doesn’t matter if you know anyone else go ing. It doesn’t even matter if you’re good at the thing the club does. Even just attending an interest meeting or one event can give you an opportunity to find someone with the same interests as you. You might not end up with long-lasting friendships from one club meeting, but at the very least you’ll get practice talking to people. I have been to meetings for clubs I knew I didn’t have time to attend regularly just so I could meet people I had something in common with.

Make a study group. If you are struggling in a class, your classmates probably are too.

Sit with people sitting alone. When you walk past a person sitting alone in the din ing hall, ask if they want some company. This one can be a bit scarier than the others, but it can be so rewarding to meet a new person and know you’re saving them from a bit of loneliness as well. Most of the friends I have made so far have come from striking up conversations with people sitting alone near me in the dining halls.

All these tips are easier said than done. I can’t count the number of times people have told me to “just put yourself out there” as if that simple solution was right in front of my face the whole time and I just didn’t know. Making friends is hard, but I promise you are not the only one who is having trouble. Keep in mind there is also no timeline for friendships. Even now, weeks into the school year, I am still making new friends in my classes that I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to earlier. Do your best to step out of your comfort zone and meet someone new today.

No matter what kind of facade others are pre senting on social media, they are likely also feeling alone behind the camera. Everyone misses someone, and we all spend time feel ing like we are the only ones experiencing this. Loneliness is a normal human emotion, but it’s up to you how you choose to deal with it. Here are some of my recommendations.

Opinion Harry Styles owes us a conversation

It’s hard not to lump international pop phe nom Harry Styles in with Katy Perry, Brit ney Spears, Lil Nas X and other queer icons of our generation. He’s no stranger to don ning outfits inspired by Elton John with big, fabulous boas, wav ing around a rainbow flag on stage or flow ers pinned to his lapel, apparently paying homage to Oscar Wilde.

promotion or capitalistic gain.”

Personally, I don’t think it’s as clear-cut as it sounds. It’s not just the potential of same-sex attraction that pushes an as sumedly straight celebrity into the realm of queerbaiting — it’s appropriation of queer culture beyond allyship.

All of that being said, does Styles fall into that category of heterosexual-presenting

among queer artists and fans.

fair, sounds overwhelming.

Sam Overton Managing Editor

That being said, Styles has never felt like he owes anyone an explanation. And re ally, why should he? After all, rumors and speculation take their mental toll on even the most well-liked pop stars — celebrities should enjoy their privacy just as much as we do.

Right?

On one hand, absolutely. We’ve seen how the Britney Spearses and Meghan Markles of the world have lost parts of their personal lives to the paparazzi. The endless questions and gossip seemingly do nothing but force these stars to speak out regarding rumors they don’t want to hear about, let alone ad dress.

On the other hand, how do we reckon with a pop icon who goes beyond his pro fuse allyship and embraces queer identity without acknowledging his identity beyond “that’s my personal experience; it’s mine”? Should we expect more direct answers to our questions regarding Styles’ sexuality?

“Queerbaiting” in of itself is a beast to understand and dissect. According to Leo Herrera, filmmaker, writer and activist, queerbaiting is when “a celebrity or public figure capitalizes on the suspicion that they may be romantically involved with another same-sex person for the sake of publicity,

Take, for example, Styles’ interview for Rolling Stone back in late August. Regarding his role in “My Police man,” a book-to-movie adaptation releasing on Oct. 21, Styles said, “So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it.” Which, obviously, is kind of a strange thing to say if you’re not part of the community your self.

celebrities who use queer culture to their brand’s advantage? Think of the backlash singer-songwriter Rita Ora received after releasing “Girls,” a tone-deaf single (written mostly by men, by the way) that reinforced negative bisexual stereotypes and fell flat

Styles absolutely takes a few nods to queer pop icons. Rainbow flags and green carna tion lapels aside, George Michael’s famous line ““never gonna dance again” from “Careless Whisper” is tattooed on Styles’ ankles. He’s donned a dark blue handker chief in his back left pocket, perhaps in ref erence to the handkerchief code. All of these potential callbacks and more are endlessly dissected on Twitter and TikTok, propel ling his sexuality further into the national spotlight.

Regardless of sexuality, Styles has also been a vocal ally to the LGBTQ community for his entire solo career. Through his inclu sivity and equality campaigns, he won the Gay Times Honour for LGBTQ Advocate in 2018. He released limited-edition “Treat People With Kindness” pride-themed mer ch, with all profits going to LGBTQ advo cacy non-profit GLSEN.

Allyship aside, however, we start to cross into queerbaiting territory when consid ering some of the things Styles has done or said publicly that makes us question whether or not his personal brand is sim ply benefitting from the perks of queerness without any direct answers.

Take, for example, Styles’ interview for Rolling Stone back in late August. Regard ing his role in “My Policeman,” a bookto-movie adaptation releasing on Oct. 21, Styles said, “So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it.” Which, obviously, is kind of a strange thing to say if you’re not part of the community yourself.

Styles himself hasn’t had much to say about his sexuality. Everything he has said has been perfectly ambiguous, leav ing it up to each fan’s interpretation. With plenty to speculate on, his identity has been thoroughly dissected and discussed within multiple channels of media. Which, to be

However, I can’t help but feel like Styles is utilizing a queer persona to reap all of the

benefits yet none of the costs. He’s claim ing the fame and likeability of a queer icon without the messy, politcal label. If we aren’t ever going to know the full story, we should at least ask why the book is shut.

Harvey Milk’s mantra “every gay person must come out” has largely fallen by the wayside in our wired world where gender and sexual identity is much more fluid than it seemed in 1978. Despite this, Styles would do better to listen to his queer fans and crit ics. Being out and proud still has plenty of power, even in 2022 — and if it’s just the opposite, and he’s using queer symbols to promote his brand, then we should begin that conversation.

Textbook Troubles Pearl Knight, staff cartoonist

A fourth-year studying art and design

Allyship aside, how ever, we start to cross into queerbaiting ter ritory when consider ing some of the things Styles has done or said publicly that makes us question whether or not his personal brand is simply benefitting from the perks of queerness without any direct an swers.

Technician spotlights NC music

“Ice Cold” by Strange Wonders

I’m actually mutuals with one of the band members so this is kind of biased, but Strange Wonders has to be one of my favorite Raleigh bands. “Ice Cold” is the second track in their first studio album “Foolish Boy,” an ode to a relationship gone wrong. The raspy vo cals and the lazy guitar strumming are an excellent duo, a common theme throughout “Foolish Boy.”

“Selfish” by By George

“Die Young” by Sylvan Esso

Myra Bari Culture Editor

“Serotonin” by The Phase Issues

The Phase Issues are actually a band from Ten nessee, not North Carolina, but their experimental in die vibe is really conta gious. “Serotonin” is a fun, beachy song I love to listen to on the way home from work. The lead vocalist’s voice is really deep and soothing, and the crescendo at the end is simply too good.

Assistant News Editor

Cameron Rhinehardt Brand Manager

This song is so upbeat, I always play it when I need a pick-me-up! After seeing this band open for COIN and The Backseat Lovers at Wolfstock, I have loved their music, especially this song. All of the songs on this album fall into the “chill rock” genre, but they all put me in a good mood immediately after listening.

Allie Remhof Copy Desk Chief

When I think of contem porary Triangle music, I think about Sylvan Esso. Sylvan Esso is a band from North Carolina I’m al ways excited to talk about. From Durham, duo Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn make fun electronic music that I always love, and “Die Young” is an upbeat favorite of mine. Meath and Sanborn’s music is pretty big, but that doesn’t make me love it any less.

“Are We There Yet” by By George

Heidi Reid Assistant News Editor

“Gentleman’s Jack” by MJ Lenderman Elyse Boldizar Assistant Opinion Editor

MJ Lenderman is an art ist from Asheville who per formed at Hopscotch this past month. This song is much slower than the ma jority of his music, but it’s relaxing and well-written. He also has a great cover of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Perfect” that is definitely worth a listen.

By George feels like a local band staple at this point, and this is such a fun, lighthearted song that’s perfect for the sum mer! Even going into fall, it remains a solid jam.

“Ferrari” by Cigarettes @ Sunset

There’s nothing quite like the Boone music scene, and Cigarettes @ Sunset’s music is a perfect example of that outdoorsy, gritty, ever-so-melancholy sound. The small, Banner Elk-based band shows incredible talent through vocals, instrumen tals and sound design, and I’m so excited to hear what tracks they have coming up next.

Sam Overton Managing Editor

“Louise” by Mipso

Mipso has become a staple on every folk playl ist on my Spotify if for no other reason than Libby Rodenbaum’s exquisite fiddlework. In addition to being the song that in troduced me to the band, “Louise” brings a Southern gothic vibe to a bittersweet, but hopeful, story that pulls you directly into the Blue Ridge mountains.

Jameson Wolf Assistant Culture Editor

“First Class” by Rainbow Kitten Surprise

“Dunes” by Center Positive

Ellie Bruno Design Editor

My taste in music is all over the place (my Spotify Wrapped is a mess), but whenever I’m in a relaxed, acoustic mood, Rainbow Kitten Surprise is my goto. Hailing from Boone, North Carolina, they specialize in a unique combination of acoustics and rock, resulting in some epic songs fit for any mood.

“Dunes” is written by two brothers, Brady and Drew Armstrong from Edenton, North Carolina. The broth ers now live hundreds of miles away from each other with one of them now living in Virginia Beach and one in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Despite the distance, they were still able to record and release their first album “Seagull.” I actually was friends with Brady in high school, and when they released their first song “Dunes,” I was so impressed and still listen to it to this day.

Abigail Ali News Editor

Emily Vespa

Film collective connects students

Gabby Griffonetti Correspondent

Wolfpack Pictures is a collective con necting NC State students through film in D.H. Hill Library. The collective shows three films over the course of each semester: “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Sept. 1, “Shortbus” on Sept. 29 and “Coraline” on Nov. 3.

The theme for the collective is desire, which is explored through topics like sex, love, family, wealth, power and justice. The program is run by students in the film studies graduate program and sponsored by University Libraries and the Department of English and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Lindsey Reich, a graduate student in film, shared the collective’s goals.

“The main idea behind it was just to bring films to light that maybe might not show in theaters or maybe films that people hadn’t thought about in a particular way, and view it in the theater,” Reich said. “It also allows people to get some context around the films through the discussions that we have after the film.”

The collective began last year, conceptual ized by the previous film studies cohort. The theme was spaces and included showings of “Wildness,” “Night on Earth” and “Carnival of Souls.” After a successful first year, the

next cohort continued the program with a new sponsorship from University Libraries.

Lara Fountaine, community engagement and visitor relations librarian, said the li brary enjoys supporting events that bring students into the libraries and connect them in unique ways. She also said uniting with other campus entities creates a broader community.

“We hope to collaborate and partner with other departments, kind of just exposing more folks to the different things that are going on on campus, and the different things that are happening in the library,” Fountaine said.

According to Reich, the collective aims

to make participants think about the films in new ways. It is also an opportunity for students to create community.

“I think we as a collective hope that students are able to think a little bit more deeply about film in a way that they hadn’t before,” Reich said. “And on top of that, just generally being able to enjoy themselves and do something for free on campus.”

Fountaine said the program reflects the library’s goal to promote student life beyond academics.

“We’re always happy to help out and help promote different things that are going on on campus,” Fountaine said. “And so I think that’s a goal of the library’s; its support role

is not just to like student research and things like that, but also supporting the activities on campus.”

Dr. Jorge Marí, a professor of Hispanic studies and film studies, encouraged stu dents across disciplines to attend.

“I can’t recommend it highly enough,” Marí said.

The next screening will be “Shortbus” on Sept. 29, followed by “Coraline” on Nov. 3. Films for the spring semester will be an nounced at a later date.

For more information, connect with Wolfpack Pictures through its Twitter or Instagram.

CONTRIBUTED BY THE WOLFPACK PICTURES COLLECTIVE

Feminist Fridays bring student-led discussion to the Women’s Center

Jameson Wolf Assistant Culture Editor

Every other Friday afternoon, the Wom en’s Center staff hands over the reins to a student facilitator to lead a group of their peers through a presentation, discussion or activity on a feminism-related topic of their choosing.

According to Simone Spencer, a graduate student in higher education administration and the graduate assistant for the Women’s Center, Feminist Fridays are a way to wel come students in to the Women’s Center and build community while learning something new.

“I see it as a big, community-building thing,” Spencer said. “I definitely see that we get a lot of people from our different women’s groups on campus. It’s kind of a time for them to connect as well as [a time for] education.”

Facilitation of Feminist Friday events is open to anyone who has a topic they’re ex cited to talk about. Student facilitators get the opportunity to build leadership and pre sentation skills as well as receive feedback on their ideas and work. Women’s Center staff work with students every step along the way to make sure their topics and presentations are fully formed.

“What we normally do is we help [facili tators] generate a title,” said Alexus Smith, program coordinator for the Women’s Cen ter. “We help them with the presentation, any activities they want to do, questions, different things like that and help them get set up to give that presentation to the best of their ability.”

The topics for each event vary widely from the history of women and roller skating to divestment culture. According to Smith, there are very few restrictions on the types of topics students can present on.

“Something that I look for is, first of all, what are they interested in,” Smith said.

“Then making sure that they can connect that to social justice, gender equity, other types of justice issues; making sure that no matter what the topic is, it can be connected to one of the pillars of the Women’s Center and really giving them an opportunity to explore their personal interests.”

Spencer, who acts as the main coordinator of the events, said she helps students make their presentations applicable for their peers.

“What I kind of push them towards is rel evance,” Spencer said. “I just want people to take the information that they get this day [and] be able to leave and apply it to their lives as they continue.”

During her own graduate studies, Smith served in Spencer’s current position as grad uate assistant for the center and has seen multiple years of student presentations un

fold. She said one of the fun things about the Feminist Friday structure is everyone has a chance to learn something new.

“It’s really interesting to see what other students come up with,” Smith said. “You’re sitting in the crowd like, ‘I didn’t know the significance of roller skating for women and the Black community’ or other topics. And that’s just really cool. There’s been so many different types of presentations.”

Des Woods, a graduate student in higher education administration, led Friday’s event with a presentation on hidden figures in fem inism and social justice. During the presen tation, Woods discussed several historical feminist figures who are often overlooked in history classes, such as Wilma Mankiller and Patsy Takemoto Mink.

“I presented last year and this year,”

Woods said. “I just enjoy coming to different community centers on campus and learning about different things. I think, especially if you consider yourself a social justice advo cate, it’s important to learn about groups that don’t match my identity, so I can learn how to become a better ally and advocate for other historically marginalized identities.”

As a second-time presenter for Feminist Friday, Woods appreciates the opportunity to learn about and educate about topics that not everyone sees in the classsroom

“I’ve always been interested in voting rights and social justice,” Woods said. “Go ing through K-12, you learn about the big names — maybe Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King — and that’s pretty much it. … For every Martin Luther King, there [are] 100 other people, such as James Bald win, Bayard Rustin, who don’t get talked about enough. So I think that’s why I wanted to do a presentation on this and try to pick people that were not just from America or not just from one time period.”

This year, Smith and Spencer hope to in corporate even more diversity in terms of topic, format and audience into Feminist Friday events.

“I am wanting to see a little bit more in teractiveness between presenters and the people in the audience,” Spencer said. “I am wanting to see more representation among student groups. I’m wanting to see [students] who are women of color, more non-binary students, students that identify differently. And I am wanting to see more male stu dents as well, just people getting involved with feminism and whatnot.”

Anyone and everyone is welcome and en couraged to attend and/or facilitate a Femi nist Friday event.

“I really want Feminist Fridays to continue to become a more welcoming space for every person and everybody that comes into the space,” Smith said.

‘HerBlackHand: A Conversational Piece’ showcases Black womanhood

Karsyn Westerbeek Staff Writer

A new art exhibition at the African Amer ican Cultural Center (AACC), “HerBlack Hand: A Conversational Piece,” featuring poems by artist Alexis Lawson and art from a collection of local artists, will be open un til Oct. 10 in Witherspoon Student Center.

“HerBlackHand: A Conversational Piece”

explores the things people experience but never seem to speak of, whether that be be cause of location, fear or situation.

“This is really an exhibit that explores the molding, the shaping and the refining of a Black woman, who is me — the true con versational piece,” Lawson said.

Working together with Isaiah Lucas, the program coordinator of the AACC, Lawson made a gallery that allows for Black students

at NC State to connect with each other and come together through shared experiences.

“It’s another space for students to be un apologetically Black,” Lucas said. “To learn their Blackness, to connect with people who look like them, who have similar experi ences to them and to celebrate Black wom anhood.”

The conversational aspect is something everyone can relate to, even if they don’t

realize it. The 13 poems in the exhibit reflect the idea that everything we say or do is a conversation, even if it’s not said out loud.

“You always leave something with some body,” Lawson said. “So that’s something that I really wanted to make known.”

AMY GAHAN/TECHNICIAN

Students take part in Feminist Friday in the NC State Women’s Center on the third floor of Talley Student Union on Friday. Feminist Friday is a program hosted by the Women’s Cen ter every Friday where students can reflect on a variety of subjects.

Culture LGBTQ History Month connects students with vital programs, events

Myra Bari Culture Editor

Celebrated from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, LGBTQ History Month is a month of community, support and togetherness for students who identify as LGBTQ through campus events and key resources.

In honor of National Coming Out Day, the second campus Pride Walk on Oct. 3 from 3-6 p.m. is the star of the show this month. Pride Walk is an opportunity for students to connect with allies and peers. The event will consist of a 1.4-mile loop around campus, with several stops and a party at Stafford Commons to close out the event.

“That’s our kickoff to LGBTQ History Month before we turn our history month’s programming over to our student orga nizations, since we know that a lot of our students engage best directly with other stu

HERBLACKHAND

continued from page 10

Lucas was immediately impressed by Lawson’s work because of its impact. Be ing an outside of the box thinker himself, he knew he wanted to include her work in the AACC’s next gallery.

“You don’t always see poetry and art ex hibitions because some people will say that poetry is art, but not art that can be dis played in an exhibit,” Lucas said. “I wanted to challenge that notion.”

Each of these poems has a correspond ing art piece to go with it. Each piece was created by a local Black artist, some even being NC State students. Providing a plat form for Black artists to show their talent was important to both Lawson and Lucas in the making of the gallery.

“This was an opportunity for us to create spaces and create platforms for Black artists to be showcased,” Lucas said.

Lawson and Lucas were committed to display Black artists and their experiences with Black womanhood. Because of this, they were able to showcase every artist that submitted work.

dents,” said Rain Garant, assistant director of the GLBT Center.

According to Mitch Bowersox, the pro gram coordinator for the GLBT Center, the Pride Walk is much bigger than last year due to earlier planning efforts alongside more collaborations with campus departments.

“We’re having more student attendees, we’re having more volunteers,” Bowersox said. “Last year was just kind of one walk, and then we had small tabling in Wolf Plaza, and now we’re having a huge lawn party at the conclusion of our walk. And that’s just a big opportunity for students to kind of engage that way.”

Students last year were especially appre ciative that the GLBT Center and NC State were recognizing the importance of pride for their students, faculty, staff and mem bers of the LGBTQ community through the Pride Walk.

“Students seem to really enjoy just having

that representation on campus,” Bowersox said. “Since it’s never been done before, it was kind of a big deal. People were just joining in as we were walking, students and pedestrians were honking their cars, and I saw some [people] on Hillsborough Street, they were cheering us on. People came out of their buildings just to cheer us on as well.”

The second Our Futures event is Oct. 6 in the GLBT Center lounge, a monthly oppor tunity for students to engage with LGBTQ community members regarding a range of topics.

“It’s an ongoing speaker series where we bring adults living, working, thriving in the Triangle area on campus to talk to our stu dents about what it looks like to be a queer adult in a post- college world,” Garant said.

The October Queer Quorum, an ongo ing student-led discussion group facilitating conversation, will hold a session on Oct. 18 for LGBTQ students and allies to connect

with the community.

GLBT Center director Charla Blumell said she wants folks to feel celebrated and that they belong, and when they walk across campus, no matter where they are, they know that there is a place and space for them.

“I think things like Pride Walk help am plify that and help encompass, at least for me, why community is so important,” Blu mell said. “But I would love for our students, staff and faculty to just feel that they have that kind of community building communi ty care, wherever they are. That’s my hope.”

The GLBT Center is dedicated to helping make and create as much space as possible for LGBTQ students and the surrounding community, centering their well-being and providing support.

Check out the GLBT Center website, events calendar and newsletter to keep up with monthly programming.

exhibit.

“Everybody is not going to like everything that I write and everything is not going to make everybody feel comfortable,” Lawson said. “As long as I am living in my truth that is OK with me, so ‘Collateral Damage’ is my favorite poem.”

The honesty found in every part of the gallery is something that influences visitors’ experiences with the art. Seeing Black art ists’ experiences can help people find answers to questions they have been asking themselves.

“I want people to leave my gallery feeling or think ing that their life has a big ger story than what they see,” Lawson said.

“The AACC is opening doors for people,” Lucas said. “It’s creating platforms for Black creators, and we provide ac cess to marginalized and minoritized groups that might not have had it before.”

One of the artists whose work is included in the exhibit is Lawson’s own brother. The image of a Black anime character doesn’t necessarily correspond with the poem beside it, but that is the beauty of the art. Artists included were not influenced by Lawson’s poems and instead got to submit creations that were specific to their lives as Black artists.

“I didn’t want something that was dedicated to my story,” Lawson said. “I wanted people to really show work that was true to them.”

The freedom the artists had plays a huge role in both the art included and what people take away from the exhibit.

Seeing one’s experiences and relating them to your own gives new meaning to the pieces.

“I don’t want you to think that your life has to look ex actly like mine, but I want you to know that we are not so different — that we cannot relate through certain things,” Lawson said.

Having art from many backgrounds and experiences, viewers of this exhibit can definitely find something to relate to. Whether it be a piece of art or a poem, Lawson worked to create raw art that will get you thinking. Because of its rawness, Lawson chose the poem “Collateral Damage” as her favorite piece.

Being very personal and about her own family dynamic, Lawson was hesitant to even include the piece in the gal lery. Fear of hurting her family members through her art was something that Lawson had to face when creating the

This sort of empower ment is what is valuable to both the artists involved and the people attending the exhibit. Young or old, the gallery will help you realize things about yourself that you didn’t know before.

“You deserve to take up space, and I think that’s some thing I’m always constantly reminding myself of, especially with this gallery,” Lawson said.

Being exposed to the things that aren’t typically talked about, asking questions about life and making new realiza tions about your own life is just what you will experience when viewing this gallery. Stories about Black womanhood, Black culture and family dynamics will leave you with a new point of view, no matter your stage in life.

“HerBlackHand: A Conversational Piece” will be open in the African American Cultural Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Visit to experience the journey of a Black woman’s life through poem and picture.

JADE WILLIAMSON/TECHNICIAN

Alexis Lawson, a freelance writer, leads the writing exercise during the HerBlackHand Poetry Workshop in the African American Cultural Center Gallery Friday, Sept. 16, 2022.

Duel in Death Valley: Pack football faces Clemson in top-10 showdown

Ben Ellis Assistant Sports Editor

Death Valley. Saturday night. Two top-10 teams. A spot in the ACC Championship Game, and potentially the College Football Playoff on the line. What more do you want?

In what is one of the biggest games in school history, the No. 10 NC State foot ball team will travel to take on the No. 5 Clemson Tigers for a heavyweight ACC showdown.

This is the kind of moment the Wolfpack (4-0) has been waiting for. ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Clemson for the game, which is the primetime ABC game of the week and will be the center of the college football universe.

For the Tigers (4-0, 2-0 ACC), this is arguably the biggest game they’ve played in since the 2021 College Football Playoff and the biggest game in Death Valley since a 2016 matchup against No. 3 Louisville, which featured an all-time quarterback duel between Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson.

Similar to the Watson-Jackson classic, all eyes will be on the quarterbacks in this one.

Redshirt junior Devin Leary and Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei are two of the most talented QBs not only in the ACC, but in the entire country, and this matchup could potentially have Heisman implications for both.

As someone who entered the 2021 season with Heisman hype, Uiagalelei’s stock has

taken a dip having not lived up to the expec tations many had for him last year. Howe ver, in Clemson’s thrilling double-overtime victory over Wake Forest last week, Uiagale lei had one of his best games in an orange uniform. Throwing for 371 yards and five touchdowns against Wake, another big per formance this weekend could catapult his name back to national prominence.

Similar to Uiagalelei last season, Leary entered this year with Heisman hype as well but got off to somewhat of a slow start, cooling some of that excitement. However, a four-touchdown performance last week against UConn may have been what he nee ded to get things back on track, and he’ll be looking to become a household name this weekend.

These quarterbacks, like their teams, will be trying to prove something this weekend. For NC State, the Wolfpack is trying to prove that it’s legit, that the team has arrived and is a serious playoff contender. For Clem son, the Tigers are trying to prove that they are back and still among college football’s best after a 2021 campaign that didn’t live up to the program’s standards.

While most all of the hype will be on the quarterbacks, this game poses an intriguing matchup in all facets of the field. Speaking of setting out to prove something, that’s what the two defenses will be doing this weekend.

The Tigers almost always have one of the most fearsome defenses in the nation, but

many may be questioning that now after giving up 447 yards and 45 points to Wake Forest last week. They will be looking to prove that their defense is still the best in the ACC and prevent another dominant passing display after giving up six touchdowns to Sam Hartman.

Leading the Clemson’s front seven defen sively are linemen Myles Murphy, Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis, along with line backer Trenton Simpson, all of whom will be playing on Sundays next year.

NC State has a solid front seven of its own, with redshirt junior Payton Wilson, junior Drake Thomas and graduate student Isaiah Moore forming one of the best line backing units in the country. The Pack has been saying all offseason that it has the best defense in the ACC and now has the chance to prove it.

Along with Uiagalelei, the NC State de fense will have to contend with Clemson star running back Will Shipley, a North Ca rolina native who was voted to the All-ACC Preseason Team and, as always, a talented Tiger receiving corps.

On top of all the hype and implications the game has for this season, surely on the back of everyone’s mind leading into this one is the epic duel the two teams had last season. In one of the biggest wins in school history, NC State outlasted the then-No. 9 Tigers in a double overtime classic, ending Clemson’s eight-game win streak in the series.

Also likely to be a significant factor in the game is the weather, as Hurricane Ian is li kely to bring lots of rain to the East Coast this weekend. However, this wouldn’t be the first time these two teams have played a notable game in wet weather.

State fans will remember all too well the Pack’s 2016 contest against Notre Dame, which was played amidst Hurricane Mat thew. In perhaps one of the ugliest games in school history, the Pack somehow beat the Fighting Irish 10-3 thanks to a fourth-quar ter blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

For the Tigers, perhaps their most memo rable rain-filled game was also against Notre Dame, this one in 2015 during Hurricane Joaquin. The two teams went down to the wire, with Clemson pulling it out after stop ping a two-point conversion by the Irish at the end of the game. The game is also most remembered for when Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney coined the phrase “bring your own guts” following the win.

The Tigers will be out for revenge. The Pack will be looking to prove that last sea son’s win wasn’t a fluke and that the guard has changed in the ACC. The stage is set. This is what everyone has been waiting for. Is the Pack for real? Is Clemson still the cream of the crop in the ACC? All the questions will be answered Saturday night.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with the broad cast on ABC.

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary throws the ball to junior running back Ricky Person Jr. in the game against Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 in Carter-Finley Stadium. Leary had 238 running yards in the game and Person Jr. had 91 rushing yards. NC State won in double overtime 27-21.

TECHNICIAN

NFL Pack Pros: Brissett owning AFC North, Chubb secures Broncos win

Wade Bowman Managing Editor

Week three of the NFL season saw a continuation of the unexpected finishes and surprising storylines that fans of the league hold dear. In all that chaos, one independent variable was the play of NC State’s Pack Pros, who remain a dominant force in the NFL for yet another year.

Jacoby Brissett – Cleveland Browns, QB

Leading the way for the Browns in their 29-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, Brissett put up his best performance of the season. Rack ing up 220 passing yards and two touch downs on a 67.7% completion percentage, Brissett filled the game-managing role to a T.

Against a division rival, Brissett filled all of his duties and then some to pull out a win. Perhaps making it even sweeter, the Pack Pro moved the Browns into first place in the AFC North while dominating the box score against Pittsburgh quarterback, and former UNC-Chapel Hill standout, Mitchell Trubisky.

NICK FAULKNER/ARCHIVE

Junior defensive tackle B.J. Hill tackles Notre Dame’s quarterback during Hurricane Matthew on Oct. 8, 2016 in Carter-Finley Stadium. Hill ended the game with four tackles and two fum ble recoveries. NC State fought hard in the trenches for a 10-3.

matchup with a knee injury — have continued to see suc cess despite the poor play from the team to start the year.

Bradley Chubb – Denver Broncos, LB

While Chubb had a fairly quiet game against the San Francisco 49ers in week three, his one and only sack of the night proved to be pivotal to Denver’s success. San

Francisco faced a two-minute drill to get themselves into field goal range in hopes of overcoming a one-point deficit late in the ball game.

Chubb wasn’t much a fan of that storybook ending, ap plying all the pressure on newly-minted starter Jimmy Garoppolo and taking him down 12 yards behind the line of scrimmage. One play after forcing the 49ers deep into their own territory, Denver punched out a fumble to seal the victory and move to 2-1 on the season.

BJ Hill – Cincinnati Bengals, DT

Suffering some hangover from their Super Bowl appear ance a season ago, the Cincinnati Bengals found their first win of the season thanks in large part to Hill’s play. To taling four tackles, half a sack, a forced fumble and two fumbles recovered in Cincinnati’s 27-12 victory over the New York Jets, Hill was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive front.

It’s no secret the Bengals have been off to a less than stellar start, but most of that stems from offensive troubles. Hill, along with fellow Pack Pro Germaine Pratt — who was leading the team in tackles before missing week three’s

With the team’s first win under its belt, the Bengals look to begin climbing the mountain to reach where they were a year ago.

Russell Wilson – Denver Broncos, QB

It sounds like a broken record at this point, but Wilson and the Broncos cannot seem to figure out their offensive deficit. In a game of defensive and special teams dominance from both sides, Wilson looked as out of sorts as ever in Denver’s 11-10 win over the 49ers.

Tossing for 184 yards on a low 60.6% completion rate by Wilson’s standards, the veteran signal caller is still working out the kinks in his new offense.

Despite all the questions surrounding Wilson’s ability to lead his new team, Den ver sits at 2-1 under first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett — who is making deci sions to find more sustainable success in the future.

Hiring 40-year veteran Jerry Rosburg to help with clock-management and gametime decisions, Hackett is invested in his teams’ success and isn’t too prideful to right his wrong early in his tenure. Hope fully that attitude can apply to Wilson, as the pair look to find a way to get the ninetime Pro Bowler back into his groove. Even though many consider the AFC West to be the NFL’s pre mier division this season, Denver’s offense gets the chance to get back on track against the only 0-3 team in the league in week four — the Las Vegas Raiders.

No. 15 Washington at UCLA

No. 7 Kentucky at No. 14 Ole Miss

Oregon State at No. 12 Utah

No. 2 Alabama at No. 20 Arkansas

No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 16 Baylor

No. 22 Wake Forest at No. 23 Florida State

Iowa State at Kansas

No. 17 Texas A&M at Mississippi State LSU at Auburn

No. 10 NC State at No. 5 Clemson

Shilpa Giri Editor-in-Chief Record: 30-10 Rank: 1

Washington Washington

Rank:

Washington

Ole Miss Ole Miss

Utah Oregon State

Baylor Baylor

Iowa State Kansas

Texas A&M Texas

Washington Ole Miss Utah Alabama Oklahoma State Florida State Kansas LSU NC StateNC StateNC State

Kentucky

Alabama ArkansasAlabama

State

Washington Utah Alabama

Ole Miss Utah

Ole Miss Utah Alabama Baylor Florida State Iowa State LSU NC State

Baylor Florida State Kansas Washington

Texas

AuburnLSU LSU Clemson

Oklahoma State Iowa State Mississippi State Auburn NC State

Wake Forest Wake ForestFlorida State

Wade Bowman

Bryan Pyrtle

Editor

Sam Overton Managing Editor

Ben Ellis Asst. Sports Editor

Ethan Bakogiannis Asst. Sports Editor Record: 26-14 Rank: